Resources You Can Use

I love to peruse cookbooks. My first cookbook, The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, was given to me as a Christmas present when I was in college by my grandmother. This classic cookbook (“America’s favorite for over half a century”–and that was in 1978) has served as my go-to resource ever since I really began cooking: after I was married. Any questions on the basics, I went first to my mom, then to my Fannie Farmer Cookbook.

Since then, I have acquired many, many, many cookbooks, either as gifts or purchased by myself. Many of my first cookbooks were from organizations (National Charity League, various school PTA’s, church groups). I like these volumes because they are filled with tried and true, family favorites that have survived generations. Then I branched out to cookbooks published by restaurants that I like to go to (The Lion House in Salt Lake City, Utah; Magnolia Bakery in New York City) and the phases I am into (Make a Mix Cookbook; Make a Treat With Wheat; Set for Life; Hungry Girl Volumes I and II, and Raw Food Made Easy). All of these cookbooks are tattered and stained from continued use.

I am certainly not the same cook that I was when I first was married in 1981. At that time, my cooking emulated what I grew up with: heavy, starchy, large portion, comfort-food type meals. As the years have progressed and I have become my own best advocate in studying and promoting a more healthier lifestyle, my cooking has also changed. We rarely eat red meat these days and have much more fruits and veggies. Rolls and breads are whole grain and homemade. Desserts are still available but I have adapted my traditional recipes to make them more low-fat and low-sugar or sugar-free.

My resources have also changed with the times. While I still prefer the written version of a cookbook, my daughters have shown me how much there is much to offer on the world, wide, web. If they have a hankering for something in particular, they will just Google it until they find what they are looking for. There are menu planners, recipe organizers, conversion charts, shopping lists and of course recipes, all on the web. And now, with the advent of smart phones, these resources can also be found on “apps.” What a wonderful world we live in!!! You can Facebook what you “like” and share with the world. You can Twitter your successes as well as your burnt offerings. You can blog about it and share your passion that way.

I have found a couple of food related blogs that I have put on my Google Reader. I enjoy their content so much that I don’t ever want to miss a post:

The Meaning of Pie My dear friend from college, Marjorie R., put me on to this blog. I was first interested because the title included the word “pie” which is my favorite dessert and because it was a play on words (“pi” vs. pie). I figured the author, Kelly, must not only be a good cook but smart as well. Both are true. Kelly introduces a variety of recipes and everything I have tried has been DELICIOUS.

Gina’s Skinny Recipes Gina takes traditional tastes and converts them in to healthy fare. I have marked many of her recipes. If you are looking for ways to eat healthy and cut calories, this is the site for you.

Deliciously Organic A relatively new blog I have been following. Carrie shares recipes that are good for you, easy to prepare, and won’t break the bank. Think organic for the real person with a real life.

WordofWisdomLiving.com The author of this non-profit blog, Skip Hellewell, has a background in the medical field. His premise for starting this blog was to open a thoughtful conversation on nutrition. His posts are researched based (which I really love) and balanced with scripture. The blog is refreshing and smart and just gets you thinking and ready to take action. Skip is very generous with his time and prompt with his replies in answering reader’s inquiries. To top it off, Skip and his family were featured in the June issue of Martha Stewart’s magazine in an article about family reunions. How cool is that?

Finding and utiliziing resources that support my desire to be healthy makes me happy. What are your favorite resources? Please share. I would love to know more.

Comments

I love The Pioneer Woman-both the website and her cookbook. I also love to read the Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen magazines. They have lots of information about products, procedures, and recipes they test.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

About Caryn

Hi. I'm Caryn, your Mid Life Guru -- an authentic and trusted mid-life voice sharing the wisdom I've gained in my first 50 years and adding to it new, relevant, and exciting information to get through the next 50.